Crypto scammers nabbed in India for $700k fraud posing as a Japanese exchange

Law enforcement in India has arrested five suspects who allegedly duped a businessman out of roughly $700,000 via a fake cryptocurrency trading platform.

According to local media, the five suspects, including one woman, were taken into custody following an investigation by the cybercrime wing of Odisha’s Crime Branch. 

The accused reportedly ran a scam using a bogus trading app called ZAIF, where they promised massive returns of up to 200% on digital currency investments. The trading platform was promoted as being based in Japan.

It’s worth noting that ZAIF is the name of a legitimate Japanese cryptocurrency exchange, which suffered a $60 million hack in 2022. However, the platform used in this scam is likely unaffiliated and merely borrowed the name to appear credible.

The fraud kicked off when the victim, an Indian businessman, was contacted on Facebook by a woman claiming to be a Hong Kong-based IBM software developer. 

She gained his trust and convinced him to invest in crypto via ZAIF. Over a month, he transferred more than INR 6 crore (approximately $$699,352) across various accounts controlled by the scammers.

As is common in such crypto trading scams, the victim was initially shown fake profits on the platform to build trust. However, when the victim attempted to withdraw gains, the platform demanded an additional INR 89 lakh to unlock the funds — a tactic commonly referred to as an advance fee fraud.

Once the victim refused, the scammers vanished, cutting off contact.

Police tracked down the suspects through digital trails and banking records. Authorities seized phones, SIM cards, ID documents, and other incriminating materials during a raid.

With cryptocurrencies still operating in a grey area, India remains a hotspot for scams and fraud targeting unsuspecting users. Earlier this month, police cracked down on a similar scam that promoted a fake token called RSN and promised 2% daily returns. Losses were estimated to be between $1.14 and $2.29 million.